N. Korea’s military staging wintertime drills, S. Korea says

North Korea’s military is conducting a wintertime exercise, as South Korea and the United States are closely monitoring related moves, Seoul’s defense authorities said Tuesday.

“We believe that wintertime drills by North Korea’s military are under way,” Col. Kim Jun-rak, the spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told reporters. “(We) are keeping a close watch on related activities while maintaining close cooperation between the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the U.S.”

The North usually kicks off a regular military training in December, which continues through early spring often involving artillery firing drills.